I have several goals that I like to acccomplish during an initial consultation, but, of course, I always adjust my goals to take into account the wants and needs of the client. Consequently, the following approach can be changed radically if, for example, the client would like to start the consultation by asking question first. No matter what approach the client prefers, I will try to develop a good rapport with a potential client and I do this by making sure that I understand why you are coming to see me. I want to know what your concerns, issues, fears, and immediate needs and long term goals are. I accomplish this by focusing on you. I want you to do the majority of the talking during your initial consultation and I usually take on the role of an active listener (meaning I may interrupt you occassionally with a brief question). I will not be judgmental. You should not feel embarassed or ashamed. Just always remember that I'm there to help you and that I can't help you unless i get the entire story (even those parts that might be unfavorable to you).
As the consultation progresses, we usually transition into a question and answer session where you get to ask me all of your questions and I will do my best to answer the questions. If I do not know the answer, then I will find the answer for you and let you know what the answer is even if it's after the consultation. In addition, during this portion of the consultation, I will usually provide you with information that I think you need if this information wasn't provided during the question and answer part of the consultation. At a minimum, I will explain the divorce process to you during our meeting. I am a big believer that information is power in these situations and I think that informed clients (obviously) make better decisions. Remember that during the consultation there literally are no dumb questions. During the consultation, I will give you a comprehensive information package to keep which contains a lot of great general information about divorce, property division, and support.
I will also discuss martial counseling with you. It is important to me to see if I can help a client save a relationship before he or she commits to a divorce. I will discuss with you alternative methods of dispute resolution that might be suitable in your case like mediation or collaborative law.
You will get to meet and speak with my assistant who will gather important basic information from you so you and I can focus on more important things during the consultation.
We do charge for our initial consultations and the payment is due at the time of the consultation. Our initial consultations usually take about an hour, but I don’t limit the consultation to an hour if we or you need more time to discuss the situation. If you can only meet for an hour, we are happy to reschedule additional consultations.
If you would like to schedule an initial consultation, please call my office at (434)293-4562 or email me at [email protected]